Armored element for electric batteries.



No. 723,326.` f PATBNTED MAR. 24, V1903.

' a E. A. lSPIIRRY.

r 5 T VEMTOEED ELEMENT EOE ELECTETG BATTERIES.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 25. 1901.

' No MODEL.

i `N UNITED STATES ELMER A. SPERRY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TONATIONAL BATTERY COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, AND JERSEY CITY, NEWJERSEY, A

CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARMORED ELEMENT FOR ELECTRIC BATTERIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,326, dated March24, 1903.

Application filed May 25, 1901. Serial No. 61,848. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be itknown that I, ELMER A. SPERRY, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, have inventedcertainnew` and useful Improvements in Armored Elements for ElectricBatteries, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. Y

This invention relates especially to electrodes for storage batteries.

Great difficulty has heretofore been experienced in keeping the envelopor shield close to the surface of electrodes to prevent thedisintegration and dislodgment of the active material. The escapinggases are found to pry the envelop away. Fine particles of activematerial soon become separated from the mass or body of such materialand fill the 2o pocket thus formed and the excretion goes on andenlarges until the blister spans the space across to the oppositeelectrode and short circuit follows.

It is the object ofthe present invention to overcome the undesirableaction j ust referred `to without `in any way sacrificing any desirablequalities.

In accordance with the invention the disintegration, abrasion, peeling,and consequent shedding of the active material are arrested byprovidingr a tough armor of inert fabric entirely covering the face ofthe electrode, preferably in an unbroken web, such fabric being madeintegral with the electrode by being embedded into the active material,

and together with the ions are unimpededA and traverse the" cuticle-likesheath freely and without increasing the impedance or inner resistanceof the battery, of which the electrodes form a part. The armor alsoserves valuable purposes as a binder, as it is found to securely holdany loose pieces from falling out of place should a portion becomecracked or loosened through mechanical injury. Short circuits may thusbe almost entirely prevented. A

The desired objects are attained by a structure illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, showing one form or method of carrying theinvention into effect.

In said drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a battery-electrodeembodying my invention, a portion of the combined active material andthe embedded fabric being turned up at one corner of the electrode. Fig.2 is an enlarged view of a cross-section of a portion of such electrode.

In the structure represented in the drawings the usual metal plate orgrid is represented at A, andthe active material carried thereby atAB.The inert fabric which is incorporated with the active material at ornear but substantially within the surface of such active material isrepresented at C D and may consist of threads C and threads D interwovenor of fibers not so interwoven, but loosely interlaced or felted, or ofamore closely woven or felted fabric perforated at intervals. The fabricis preferably made of nitrocellulose or pyroxylin, suitably prepared soas to retain as far as possible the strength of the original fibers, ithaving been found that such material does not depreciate or lose itsstrength in the battery solution under the electric action. 1

The active material B, which is preferably employed in the formation ofthe armored plate, is a material which at some stage in its operation isplastic or a material which by the action of a suitable solvent can bemade plastic, so that the fabric when applied by pressure or otherwiseto the plastic or semiplastic material may be thoroughly incorporatedwith the material, 4such Vmaterial penetrating through the intersticesof `the fabric and practically covering both sides thereof. In thismanner the true surface of the eleotrode will really be a surface ofactive material which is practically integral With the main body ofactive material between the fabric and the plate or grid. In practice itwill be found that some of the fibers or threads of the fabric mayactually reach the surface, but they Will not be sufficient in number tohave any appreciable effect upon the electrode. It will be understoodthat the material B is preferably of such character as to become hardafter the application of the fabric thereto. The active material and thefabric may with advantage be Wrapped around one edge of the plate A,preferably the bottom edge, as shown at E in Fig. l. In this figure isalso illustrated the thorough incorporation of the fabric in a body ofactive material, the rough surface G being produced When the fabric andthe surface portion Z) of the active material are forcibly torn awayfrom the main body of active material.

It has been found in practice that the active material of armored platesformed as described herein is not dislodged when pried from the plate orgrid by the action of the escaping gases.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in thestructure of the improved electrode Without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, and particularly that the invention is not limited to theprecise character of the fabric represented in the drawings nor to theparticular material of Which such fabric is described herein as formed.

I claim as my invention- 1. An armored battery element comprising aplate or grid, active material, and a fabric which is attached to andincorporated with said active material, said active material extendingthrough the interstices of said fabric and forming substantially thesurface of the electrode.

2. An armored battery element comprising a plate orvgrid, activematerial and a sheet of open-meshed, inert fabric, incorporated with theactive material at the surface thereof, such material being forcedthrough the interstices of the fabric and expanded on the outside.

3. An armored battery-electrode comprising a plate or grid, activematerial and an open-meshed, inert fabric, folded around the edge of theplate, and incorporated with the active material at the surface thereof,such material being forced through the meshes and expanded on theoutside.

4:. In a battery element, the combination of a plate or grid, anopen-meshed, inert fabric and an active material composed of ingredientswhich have the capacity of setting or becoming hard, the said fabricbeing incorporated with and covered by the material at the surfacethereof.

5. In a battery element, the combination of a plate or grid, anopen-meshed, inertI fabric and an active material composed ofingredients which have the capacity of setting or becoming hard, thesaid fabric being embedded into the material at the surface thereof insuch manner that the material extends through the meshes and is spreadont upon the outer surface and secures the fabric in position.

6. A battery element comprising the' combination of a plate or grid,active material placed thereon and crossed or Woven bers of suitableinert material embedded in the active material at the surface thereof tobind the same together, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. An armored battery element comprising a plate or grid, activematerial and a fabric of pyroxylin attached to and incorporated with theactive material at the surface thereof, such material being forcedthrough the interstices ofthe fabric and made to surround the fibersthereof. l y

This specification signedrand witnessed this 21st day of May, A. D.y1901.

ELMER A. SPERRY.,

In presence olf- H. C. STEVENS, KgE. GRIFFIN.

